


A Special Christmas

by heckmoth (LadyofWinterhell)



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Fluff, Holidays, Marichat, Pre-Relationship, Seasonal, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2020-01-16
Packaged: 2021-02-27 10:21:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22275511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyofWinterhell/pseuds/heckmoth
Summary: Mari's last day before winter break kinda sucks, but Chat helps make up for it.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 5
Kudos: 85





	A Special Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Gift for the ML Secret Santa 2019! For @P-Artspants! Sorry it's as late as can be.

Marinette stares out from her little balcony, soaking in the cool night time air of Paris. It’s been quite a day for her, and not in a good way. She had wanted the last day of school before break to go perfectly (or, given her luck and the city’s tendency to attract trouble, decently). Christmas was approaching and she had baked cookies for her entire class, and even gotten a special gift for Adrien. But despite being the superhero of luck, it never seemed to be in her favor.

Sighing, she lowers her head down until her forehead is pressed against the cool metal of the railing. The cold is shocking at first, a great contrast from the warmth of her skin, but then it becomes soothing. Taking deep breaths, she wonders if maybe everything would be easier if she could just slowly let the cold embrace her. Become a part of the winter. Of the snow and the ice. Of the silence. There’d be no stressful school to deal with, no boys to chase after, and certainly no superhero duties to leave her life a constant mess. 

She knows it wasn’t what she really wants, but for a moment, she imagines.

Lifting her head, she pulls herself from her thoughts. As if by fate, in that very moment she hears a soft noise behind her. A step on the concrete.

“Mama,” she begins, turning, but it is not the face of her mother that greets her.

“My lady,” Chat Noir extends his hand.

“Oh you silly kitty,” she approaches, and for the first time all day, there’s something resembling a smile on her face.

Chat’s grin, which was at first so bright that Mari wondered if it had become daylight, fell, and his brows furrowed with worry. Resentment swells inside her, but not directed at him. She hadn’t intended to be so blatant with her feelings. So much like an open book. It was a personal trait of her own that she secretly loathed. 

Quickly, she does what she can to brighten her expression and add cheer to her tired face.

“My lady, don’t go hiding things from me,” Chat circled her, and she nearly giggles.

“What? Did I say something funny?” His grin is back, and she’s glad.

“It’s just, kitty,” her eyes follow him as he walks around her gracefully, as if they were the star dancers in a ballet. “You act so much like a house cat.”

Chat’s hands fly to his chest as he feigns insult.

“Is that what I am to you?” And now there’s a hand against his forehead, as if he were a damsel about to faint. “If that’s the case, I might as well play into it.”

With a shrug, his expression has changed and he’s in motion. One moment a wounded heroine, insulted at preposterous accusations, another a cheeky cat, placing his head under her palm as if to ask for pets.

Marinette is no longer able to hold it in. She bursts out laughing, and he joins her. They try in vain to stifle their boisterous laughter, not wanting to wake up all of Paris, and Marinette even falls back into the lounge she’s set up on her balcony. Her ribs ache and for the first time in a while, she’s really enjoying herself.

When she looks over into Chat Noir’s eyes, as he crouches on the ground beside her, she sees all the worry has left his face.

A bad day is turning into a delightful night.

“So tell me, princess,” Chat begins, plopping down into a criss-cross sitting position, “what’s bugging you?”

Marinette almost rolls her eyes, forgetting that she’s in her civilian form and that Chat’s comment is not, in fact, another in a long line of terrible puns.

“Just a rough day, nothing to worry your little heart over,” she’s trying to keep her voice as calm as possible.

It’s really not that big of a deal, she tries to tell herself. Just a crummy day. But her heart doesn’t believe it, and unfortunately her eyes prefer to listen to her heart over her mind. They begin to tear up just a little, and she turns her head away.

“I brought some cookies for my classmates, made them myself,” she offers, without any further prompting from her friend. She tells herself he’ll push anyway, but maybe she really does want someone to sit and listen.

“It’s silly. A girl in my class made a big fuss because she has a food allergy and she couldn’t eat them. So no one wanted any. I didn’t know, she hadn’t mentioned it before...”

Marinette almost jumps at the warm palm placed on her shoulder.

“It’s not silly, Mari,” Chat offers, and she knows he’s serious because he uses her name (or some form of it) instead of a nickname. “I’m sure your friends didn’t mean to make such a big deal about it, and...”

He pauses, staring at the ground for a moment before returning to meet her gaze.

“At least one of your friends is sure to be really sorry that they didn’t help smooth things over.”

There’s no way he can actually know that, but something in his eyes makes her believe him. For a small moment, everything is alright in the world.

“Hey, do you have any cookies left over? I’d love to try some,” he says, when she doesn’t respond.

“Of course,” she gets up to go get them, and she’s truly touched. “I’ll be right back.”

She pauses before climbing down to her room, and doesn’t even note how warm her cheeks are feeling.

“Thanks for being such a good friend, Chat.”

Her words are soft, gentle, and sincere.

Marinette collects the box she’d discarded hours before, careful not to toss it about further, crushing the remaining intact cookies, and climbs back up to join her feline friend. But she’s forced to pause a moment before asking for his intention. There, on the balcony, he’s staring out just as she had before, and she notices how content he looks. How peaceful. His back to her, she has a moment to admire his posture, which holds such great confidence even in a relaxed pose. He really is a good friend and, she wonders (if only for a second) if maybe he’s the one her heart deserves. Someone caring and kind. Someone who sees her for who she is, and is there for her. Always.

“Marinette?”

Chat’s voice pulls her from her thoughts and she finishes climbing up as he turns to her. Again, she’s forced to pause.

Chat Noir’s hand is extended, and on his palm is a small box, wrapped in metallic paper and a carefully tied satin bow.

“What’s this?” she asks, unable to contain her smile.

“It’s the reason I originally came here.”

She wonders if Chat is blushing, but perhaps it is just the lighting.

Delicately, she sets the box of cookies down and takes the small present from his hand. He approaches as she tugs at the ribbon and ever-so-carefully lifts off the box’s top. There, inside, is a simple silver necklace. It’s a little cat, with its paw stuck out, and dangling from the paw is a tiny, deep blue sapphire.

“Oh Chat,” there are tears forming in her eyes once more, but these are not tears of sorrow.

“This is too much,” she says, but she doesn’t hesitate to remove the necklace from the box.

“Here, let me,” he almost whispers, taking the thin chain from her hands and gliding around her so that he can put it on her.

His gloved fingers graze the sensitive skin on the back of her neck, and the warmth in her heart grows. Even after an unfortunate day, it’s amazing how wonderful he makes her feel.

“There you go, princess,” he says, and he’s facing her once more.

Instinctively, her hands wrap around the little pendant, and it’s too much to take. She feels appreciated. Warm. Safe. Happy.

She feels loved.

“Well consider the cookies my gift,” she says softly, and smirks at the toothy grin he gives in response, “but I don’t think they’re enough.”

“What do you mean?” Chat began, but Marinette only shakes her head.

“Close your eyes, kitty, for just a moment. Trust me.”

And he certainly does trust her, for he immediately closes his eyes.

Without thinking about it, she leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek. Her lips barely touched his skin, and yet she felt warmth in them as she drew back. Now, she knew for sure that she had to be blushing, but she was also certain that he was as well.

It may have been chilly outside, but she was warm.

The rest of the night was passed with talking and laughter. On that rooftop, in the middle of the beautiful city of Paris, the two of them had their own private little Christmas. And it was absolutely perfect.


End file.
